I have
admired Rick’s work for quite some time and I'm very excited and grateful to be
featured on his blog.

My
love of photography goes hand in hand with my passion for exploring life and
capturing my adventures so that I can share them with others.

When I
was 10 years old, I would explore the neighborhood with my father’s Canon AE-1
around my neck. Everything looked clearer through the viewfinder and being able
to share the images added to my excitement. I would photograph everything from
the trees, to the flowers, to my neighbor’s dog.

Nowadays,
I still have that same thrill exploring the beauty around me and I have learned
that photography helps me live in the moment. When I’m watching the light dance
on my surroundings, feeling the wind on my face and discovering my next shot, I
am truly living. This is what I hope to share through my images.

The Journey: Tell a Story with Your
Images

While hiking
at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, I stopped to catch my breath
and as I glanced up, I saw that the footprints of the fellow hiker had created
leading lines. When composing your image look for leading lines because they
will guide the viewer’s eyes through your photograph.

Including the
hiker in the picture adds to the story of the image making it about the journey
instead of just a landscape. The hiker
is also a frame of reference to show the scale of the scene.

When
photographing sand dunes I highly recommend using a versatile length lens
because switching lenses raises the risk of getting sand in your camera and on
your sensor. I also recommend wearing glasses to protect your eyes from the
blowing sand and to bring a cloth to wipe the dust off your lens.

Sandy Sea: Look for Shapes and Lines

Photographing
the dunes was captivating because they were constantly being re-shaped by the
persistent wind and the changing light sculpting their peaks. I chose to make
this image black and white because I wanted to focus on the shapes and lines.
In Photoshop I added contrast and burned in the mid-tones to create more drama.

I highly
recommend shooting at sunrise or sunset because when the sun is low in the
horizon, it will create more dramatic shadows and interesting light on the
dunes.

Sparkling Rockies: Maximize Your Depth
of Field

When shooting
landscapes it is good to maximize your depth of field by choosing a small
aperture setting (a large number). The smaller the aperture is the greater the
depth of field. Keep in mind that the smaller the aperture, the more light you
will need, so you will have to adjust to a slower shutter speed or higher ISO.

If you have
ever wondered how to get the sun to look like a starburst without a filter, try
using an aperture of F16 or smaller. In this image of the Colorado Rockies, I
achieved the starburst effect with an aperture of F22. The starburst effect is
not limited to the sun, any light source can produce this effect, so try it and
add a little sparkle to your pictures.

Ode to Ansel:
Photographing Fog

Photographing
a landscape that is buried in a blanket of fog can be very frustrating. This
was the case at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. As the fog cleared
off the mountain’s peak, a new fog was rolling in that assisted in highlighting
the black trees which would have been lost in the darkness of the mountain. In
a matter of minutes this view was gone, so having your settings ready for the
moment the fog breaks is key.

Fog is
reflective like snow and I suggest ½ to a full stop increase of your exposure because
it is likely that the camera will be misreading the scene. Foggy pictures may also appear flat so I
suggest increasing the contrast level in Photoshop.

Starry Night: Creating Star Trails

When shooting
star trails you will need a tripod, a cable release and a headlamp. The ideal
time to shoot star trails are when there is a new moon in a location away from
any light pollution. If you want to get a circular star trail, shoot towards
the North Star (Polaris) and there are plenty of phone apps that can help you
locate it. Scout out an interesting foreground before it gets dark. Use manual
focus and set it to infinity.

Exposure time
and your lens choice will determine the length of the star trails. For example,
a wider lens (17-24mm) will take a longer exposure time to create star trails
of equivalent appearances to that made by a longer lens (70-200mm) and vise
versa.

I suggest
doing a test shot at a high ISO and large aperture (F2.8) for 2-3 minutes to
check composition and focus before starting your long exposure. I also
recommend bringing extra batteries, memory cards, snacks, and a friend for
entertainment.

This image was
taken in Portal, Arizona with a 17 minute exposure, ISO 400, and an aperture of
F5.6. I lit the house with candles on the porch and luckily the North Star was
perfectly positioned above the mountain.

Twisted Night: Painting with Light

When painting with light you will
need a dark environment, a tripod, shutter release, and light such as
flashlights, sparklers or glow sticks. Experiment with slow shutter speeds that
will allow you to capture the movement of the lights. I recommend finding a
dark space whether it is in your living room or under the stars to paint in
your own scene.

When I drove up this twisty road in
upstate NY, I knew I had to come back at night. I set up my tripod and waited
to see a car approaching to start the exposure. Once the car drove past, I
turned my cell phone on flashlight mode and danced down the street causing the
swirls on the right. Because I kept moving and there was no light hitting me, I
was not captured in the image. My exposure time of 60 seconds allowed the car’s
tail lights to paint and illuminate the winding road. The ISO was set at 1250
and my aperture was F5.6.

I meet hundreds, if not thousands, of photographers each year on my workshops and at my seminars. Some have the dream of turning pro and making pictures full time. They ask, "How can I make my dream a reality?"

My advice to these dedicated photographers:- Read Real Magic by Dr. Wayne Dyer, who talks about how we can create magic in our lives. Hey, it worked for me. I worked in an ad agency in NYC for 10 years before turning pro;- Get your work out there;- Never give up.

I go on to share my best "Get your work out there" and "Never give up" stories.

First, my "Get your work out there story."

Several years ago, a local arts club in Croton on Hudson, NY (where I live) was having a photo show in the church. They wanted me to include a few of my pictures. At the time, I was busy, working on international projects and a few books. I told the show organizers that I did not have time to make archival prints, mount them in archival mats, select cool frames, and so on. I did say that I would definitely be in the show the following year.

Well, they used the magic word, "please." I stayed up late one night and made the archival prints and then bought custom mats and frames.

Good thing for me, because the small, local show was reviewed in the local paper by someone very well known in the art field. Here is what the reviewer said:

"For their incisive vision, sumptuous textures and colors, and the sheer wonder these finely detailed descriptions of butterflies awaken in us, I think Rick Sammon's photographs are marvels." – Maria Morris Hambourg, Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Wow! What photographer could ask for more?

With Maria's permission, I used her quote on the back of my book, Flying Flowers - the beauty of the butterfly, which I had been working on for a year. (Since the publication of the book, I produced two butterfly apps which are listed on My Apps page.)

Did the quote help sales and reviews? You bet!

The moral of this story: Get your work out there. You never know who is watching - and who can help you.

Here is my best never give up story.

About 10 years ago, I had an idea for a children's book series, where the kids would wear 3-D glasses and the pictures would pop off the page.

I drove down from New York to Washington, DC to see the editor of National Geographic books, with a dummy (sample) in hand. I was super excited!

To make a long story short, the editor said that the red/green glasses were old technology and that no one would buy the books.

Well, two weeks later I signed a contract with the Nature Company, which became Discovery Channel stores, to produce six books. They send us to Kenya, Costa Rica, Tahiti and Bonaire to produce the books. The books sold 20,000 each. We went on to produce two more 3-D books: 3-D Wings and Our Nation's Capital in 3-D. (All these books are out of print.)

The moral of this story: Never give up!

Get your work out there and never, never give up my friends.

Explore the light,Rick

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This post sponsored by Westcott. Check 'em out for all your lighting needs.

Rick and I will be leading our second photography caravan workshop
on the Oregon Coast, a magical place. You will find rocky headlands separated by long sweeping beaches and
towering sand dunes. There are sea birds,
whales, seals, sea lions, lighthouses, and picturesque fishing harbors.

The Yaquina Lighthouse, pictured above, is one of the most beautiful locations
on the coast.

The Newport harbor is a real working fishing port. This was
shot with a full moon at the blue-light time of day right after sunset.

In Oregon, the coast is public land to 16 feet above average
tide level. The entire coast is accessible for photographers.

There are many wonderful tide pools to explore at low
tide.Be sure to bring your knee-high
rubber boots to wade through shallow pools.You will have better opportunities to photograph your subjects.

Unusual sandstone cliffs make Shore Acres a unique place
with big waves. It is mesmerizing.

There are several areas along the Oregon coast with amazing
seastacks (big rocks isolated in the water by erosion). They are wonderful for
photography. This gull was searching for food.I was fortunate to have ideal backlight during a break in the clouds.

Sunsets on the coast can be amazing.This is with a telephoto at 200 mm to
compress the birds and the distant seastacks.

The Oregon Coast is a treasure for photographers. High tides
and low tides completely change the way an area appears. Along with the
changing tides, sunrises and sunsets offer an infinite opportunity for new
images.

Join the Oregon Coast Photo Caravan September
3 - 9 and visit all of these great places. We only have a few openings. Great locations. Great photo ops. Great fun. And no doubt, great new friends.

P.S. Just added: Someone on Google+ asked if my "Girl in the Red Hallway" shot was really HDR. Sequence below. Someone else asked about the alignment of the picture in the bottom left of the frame. Just careful composition.

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I took the shot above on Day 1 of my Florida Photo Caravan workshop. After a sunrise shoot in St. Augustine, we headed to Old Town for some street photography.

I helped the workshop participants with some travel portraits. Above is my favorite image from the shoot.

We:• Asked the man to move from the bright sunlight into the shade, and positioned him against an interesting background.• Composed our pictures with the subject off center for creative composition.• Shot an angle angle to create a sense of depth in the scene.• Shot eye to eye, which is more interesting than shooting downward.

I took the shot above today on Day 2 of the workshop. Once again, we made the picture by positioning the model in front of a cool background - the Magic Beach Motel. Here, the shadows added extra interest to the scene - and image.

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